How Did HPHS Fare In 2022 Rankings?
Much has been made about Highland Park ISD’s rankings, with at least one candidate for the Highland Park ISD board of trustees referencing the U.S. News and World Report rankings on a campaign website.
Highland Park High School was ranked 17 among Dallas area high schools and 281 nationally for 2022 behind Dallas ISD’s School for the Talented and Gifted (#8 in national rankings), Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School (#20 in national rankings), and the Science and Engineering Magnet School (#22 in national rankings), which top the list.
The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on nearly 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.
This year, U.S. News adjusted its calculations to account for the cancellation of state testing in spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because assessment data from the 2019-2020 year was not available, U.S. News incorporated mathematics and reading assessment results from the three previous years’ rankings instead.
To view the rankings click here.
Highland Park ISD also touted The 2022 Challenge Index rankings, which ranked Highland Park High school 118th in the country, up from 173 in 2020, behind Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School at 26, Dallas’ School of Business and Management at 43, and the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at 88.
The Challenge Index ranks high schools by the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Cambridge tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year.
To view the 2022 Index, click here.
“Students from Highland Park High School benefit from the rigorous AP course offerings provided by our outstanding staff,” HPHS Principal Jeremy Gilbert said. “As a result, our Scot graduates are not only attending but thriving at some of the top colleges and universities in the country.”
“No matter what methodology is used, HPHS ranks at or near the top, especially when compared with other open enrollment schools. And, while ranking highly is obviously preferred, the true measure of success is how well our graduates are prepared for college and beyond,” HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg added. “We are particularly proud that, according to National Clearinghouse data, 97% of HPHS graduates return for their second year of undergraduate studies compared to the state/national average of 73.9%. That statistic speaks to a strong culture of college readiness in our school district.”
